On June 17, 2024, the Biden Administration announced a new Parole-in-Place policy that could help shorten the path to residency for some noncitizens who previously had to leave the United States and return to obtain status. Parole-in-place is a legal mechanism that allows eligible individuals who entered the country unlawfully to remain in the United States for purposes of adjustment of status to permanent residence.

According to the announcement, spouses of U.S. citizens may be eligible for parole-in-place if (1) they entered the United States without admission or parole and (2) as of June 17, 2024, they have been continuously present in the country for at least 10 years, and they were married to a U.S. citizen as of this same date. The children of the applicants who are the stepchildren of United States citizen parents are also eligible. Although the official Federal Register notice has not yet been published, the Biden Administration announced that eligible individuals will be able to apply for parole-in-place through this program beginning on August 19, 2024.

Read the Biden Administration’s announcement here, and DHS’s announcement here.